I fired up the Xbox last night and heard a familiar clicking sound: the sound of a toasted hard drive. The error message that followed came up in six languages, but that's the only thing amusing about it. That, and the blinky green light now blinks green and red.

I called the customer service folks, and they confirmed it's now a doorstop. I can get it repaired and an free warranty for a total of $80. Which isn't bad for a hard drive repair, I guess, but if I can wait 5 months I can buy an Xbox 360.